Roberto Mancini: 'Yaya Toure still world class'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 07 September 2016

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is still capable of 'changing the outcome of an entire season', according to Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini.

Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini has insisted that Yaya Toure is still capable of 'changing the outcome of an entire season' despite the Ivorian being snubbed by Pep Guardiola.

Mancini brought Toure to Manchester City in 2009, and the midfielder has scored 75 times in 266 appearances for the English club in addition to winning two Premier League titles and one FA Cup.

The 33-year-old has not yet featured under Guardiola, while he was left out of Man City's Champions League squad, which brought a furious response from Toure's agent Dimitri Seluk.

Mancini, however, has revealed that he is still a big admirer of the midfielder's talents, putting him in the same class as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Yaya was always one of my goals," he told Corriere dello Sport. "We had almost sealed his purchase with president Erick Thohir a year ago, then he preferred not to betray Manchester City, where I took him.

"Toure, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of those players who can make the difference, who can change the outcome of a season by themselves like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo."

Toure is unlikely to be involved in the Manchester derby against Manchester United this weekend.